HILO, Hawaiʻi — ʻImiloa Astronomy Center will offer "cosmic" fun, learning activities for students during the January 2008 school break. These exciting, hands-on programs are designed to expand students‘ curiosity and interest in space, provide new understanding and appreciation of the Universe, and instill a sense of wonder about the skies over Hawaiʻi.

Parents of students in Grades 1-6 can register their children in one of two sessions of "Explore Our Solar System," which will be conducted on Friday, January 4 and again on Friday, January 11, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. This program includes ʻImiloa‘s animated planetarium program, "Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," an entertaining show about the planets in our Solar System. After seeing the planetarium show, keiki will be engaged in an activity in which they create planets with Play-Doh to learn more about their relative sizes and distance from the Sun. Children in Grades 1-3 must be accompanied by an adult. Students in grades 4-6 may attend alone if a parent or legal guardian signs a release form. The fee for this program, which includes materials and the planetarium show, is $5 per person.

For students in Grades 7-12, "Cosmic Questions" will be conducted on Wednesday, January 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. This program includes activities about the composition of the Universe and its vast scales of space and time. The engaging, mind-expanding activities are based on concepts presented in ʻImiloa‘s new exhibit, Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space Time, created by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Students will explore ideas and models of the universe, learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and its importance in observing objects in space, and contemplate the possibility of life on other worlds. Adults are welcome, but not required, to attend. Students can participate on their own if a parent or legal guardian signs a release form. The program fee is $5 per person.

Thanks go to the Earl and Doris Bakken Foundation, which provides support to make these programs affordable to all families.

Space for these school intersession programs is limited, and reservations are required. To reserve and pre-pay for these sessions, call (808) 969-9704 or email reservations@imiloahawaii.org. For more information about the "Explore our Solar System" program, contact Janet Babb at (808) 969-9730.

For information about the "Cosmic Questions" program, contact Gail Loeffler at (808) 969-9729.

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi weaves today‘s newest astronomy findings and Hawaiʻi‘s cultural heritage into a compelling story of astronomical exploration. For more information, visit www.imiloahawaii.org, or call (808) 969-9700. The Cafe is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. without admission charge. For more information about the café, call (808) 969-9753.